Fender Select Series

[anezthes]

Fender Introduces Select Series Guitars and Basses - Premier Guitar

Quote:

The Fender Select Precision Bass presents an elegantly crafted, sonically seismic new take on the bass guitar that started it all, with a gorgeous Two-color Sunburst gloss-lacquer finish and flame maple top. Its modern “C” shaped quartersawn maple neck has Posiflex graphite support rods, a satin lacquer back finish and rear-headstock “Fender Select” medallion. The smooth-playing compound radius flame maple fretboard (9.5”-14”) has 20 medium jumbo frets, stylish black pearloid position inlays and a gloss lacquer finish. Loud, clear and deeply resounding tone issues from the new single Fender Select Precision Bass split-coil pickup. Other premium features include a three-ply pickguard (parchment-black-parchment), High-Mass Vintage bridge (top-loading or strings-through-body), Fender/Hipshot vintage-style tuners with tapered shafts, knurled chrome knobs, “stealth” string retainer and nickel-chrome hardware. MAP $2299.99

The Fender Select Jazz Bass elevates our most sonically versatile bass to the height of alluringly refined elegance and power, with a striking Amber Burst gloss-lacquer finish and flame maple top. It too has a modern “C” shaped quartersawn maple neck with Posiflex graphite support rods, satin lacquer finish and rear-headstock “Fender Select” medallion. Its smooth-playing compound radius rosewood fretboard (9.5”-14”) has 20 medium jumbo frets and stylish white pearloid position inlays. Two brand-new single-coil Fender Select Jazz Bass pickups pump warm and full low end, snarling midrange and ringing highs. It too features a three-ply pickguard (parchment-black-parchment), High-Mass Vintage bridge (top-loading or strings-through-body), Fender/Hipshot vintage-style tuners with tapered shafts, knurled chrome knobs, “stealth” string retainer and nickel-chrome hardware. MAP $2299.99

[dedpool1052]

interesting. would be better if they were rear-routed, or just a control plate so you could see more of the top-wood. a clunky old white pickguard just ruins the aesthetics of a figured top.

[TNCreature]

I agree with your pickguard comment.
However, I would like to see one of these up close!

From Fender's Site (Better view): Fender® | Select ... Select Guitars for Select Individuals

Originally Posted by dedpool1052

interesting. would be better if they were rear-routed, or just a control plate so you could see more of the top-wood. a clunky old white pickguard just ruins the aesthetics of a figured top.

[TNCreature]

click me:

[dedpool1052]

a white pearloid pickguard would look better than the plain white, especially on the jazz with those mop block inlays.

[EagleMoon]

Looks like the same old thing with a flame maple top. Bored now.

[Flaked Beans]

I'm not bored at all! quartesawn neck, nitrocellulose lacquer, flamed maple top.....$3199 msrp.

[JTE]

It's a Lakland!




John

[Sartori]

Is the Jazz bass one that'll look good with no pickguard? Or if you take it off will there be a big hole there?

[TN WOODMAN]

Flamed tops on Fender basses or guitars are too Gibsonesqe for me. Reminds me of the photoflame era too.

[mongo2]

Originally Posted by EagleMoon

Looks like the same old thing with a flame maple top. Bored now.

+1

Originally Posted by TN WOODMAN

Flamed tops on Fender basses or guitars are too Gibsonesqe for me. Reminds me of the photoflame era too.

LOL, photoflame was the first thing I thought of.

[Fletz]

This is the first new Fender bass that made me say, "Really? Why?" You have custom shop basses.

I take that back, the black top basses are kinda dopey too.

[mophead]

Street price on these anyone?

[dwh87]

Originally Posted by mophead

Street price on these anyone?

List price is $2999.99 so depending on how well you know your dealer it should be 15 or maybe 20% off

[Retroman]

True, the CS has high-end basses, but not quite like this one. The passive '64 Jazz has old-school hardware and the active Custom Classics have modern hardware, but its 'Noiseless' pickups with the active circuitry are not to everyone's taste.

One area that Sadowsky and Lakland have had superiority over Fender is the category of modern, high-end passive basses. Now Fender has finally filled this niche. I have wondered why they hadn't done this sooner and were content to give away this business to these other companies.

The American Standard is a very nice passive bass with modern hardware, but not in the same league with Sadowsky, Lull and Lakland. At its price point, it competes very nicely with the competive passive Skyline series--but its American- made.

However, if you wanted a better model than the AS with modern hardware and appointments but did not have money for a Custom Shop, you had to buy the American Deluxe. I bought one but was disapponted. I love its looks and it appeared to be a step-up model from the AS. However, the American Deluxe basses are not shielded and the 'Noiseless' pick-ups and their electronics pick-up radiated noice from AC wiring and other noise-generating sources. Mine, like others had this constant, very annoying hum and buzz, especially in active mode. No one should have to have pay a independent repair shop to shield an expensive bass that should have been shielded to begin with. Its no wonder that bassist are 'offing' their American Deluxes and going back to passive.

With the introduction of the Select Jazz, Fender now has a true step-up passive-only model to the American Standard Jazz. The American Standard has 20 frets and the Select has 20 frets while the American Deluxe has 21 frets.

Take the 20 fret passive American Standard and add a quartersawn neck for better long-term stability, perloid blocks for enhanced looks, a compound radius neck for ease of playing and what are hopefully better pick-ups for superior tone. I bet it even has shielding for noise immunity! These are they types of upgraded features Fender should have incorporated in the American Deluxe if they wanted it to be a clear step-up model over the American Standard.

Like you guys, I love Fender, so I ended-up trading-in my noisey American Deluxe for a '64 CS NOS as it was the only real passive step-up model at the time. I would have probably bought the Select Jazz instead if it were available. Why? I like a balanced passive instrument with the modern advances, like the quartersawn neck and the higher mass bridge. The CS '64 has the old traditional tuners that cause neck dive. To overcome this, I had to chage the tuners to Gotoh Res-o-lites. With the new Select Jazz, I wouldn't have had to change anything!

[pedroims]

MSRP $2,229 that is $ 1000 difference against the American Standard and the only difference I noticed are:

* Rear-headstock “Fender Select” medallion.
* Flame maple fretboard
* Pearloid position inlays
* Flame maple top.
* Quartersawn maple neck

I am getting a Fender this year but for this price I coudl get a Road Worn and a MIA Standard.

[Jaldegren]

Originally Posted by pedroims

MSRP $2,229 that is $ 1000 difference against the American Standard and the only difference I noticed are:

* Rear-headstock “Fender Select” medallion.
* Flame maple fretboard
* Pearloid position inlays
* Flame maple top.
* Quartersawn maple neck

I am getting a Fender this year but for this price I coudl get a Road Worn and a MIA Standard.

Don't forget the A-string retainer!

[Jim Carr]

Originally Posted by pedroims

MSRP $2,229 that is $ 1000 difference against the American Standard and the only difference I noticed are:

* Rear-headstock “Fender Select” medallion.
* Flame maple fretboard
* Pearloid position inlays
* Flame maple top.
* Quartersawn maple neck

I am getting a Fender this year but for this price I could get a Road Worn and a MIA Standard.

Or a Sadowsky Metro...Wait! Oh heck, just get the Road Worn.

[pedroims]

Originally Posted by Jim Carr

Or a Sadowsky Metro...Wait! Oh heck, just get the Road Worn.

True, I could get a used Sadowsky and a used highway

[senp5f]

Retroman nailed this. Fender saw a niches they thought should be theirs and wasn't, and they want in. All the specs suggest these basses are designed to kill off the USA business of Lakland and Sadowsky's Fender-derived designs.

I'll withhold judgment till I play one, but economics of scale suggest that fender should be able to produce a bass as good as a Lakland because they can distribute the costs over a bigger business. Fender has wildly profitable low end lines to soften the blow of higher costs on these high end lines. That said, we will have to see how well they play and sound.

In any case, I hope this spurs Lakland and Sadowsky to focus on their original designs and innovate there. Lakland in particular has made some great advances with the decade and the hb, and I'd hate to see them slow down to slug it out over 50 year old designs.